Maura Higgins is one of the celebs in the Australian jungle on I’m A Celebrity 2024 – which continues on Sunday (December 1).
Since finding fame on Love Island in 2019, Maura has become a reality TV household name and one of the most successful Love Island contestants.
But where is Maura’s accent from? Who has she been dating since the villas? And what was the horrendous phone call that left her estranged from her father? Keep reading to find out…
I’m a Celebrity 2024 Maura Higgins’ won’t be the youngest in the camp
Maura Higgins is 33 years old, born on November 25, 1990.
She starred in the fifth season of the ITV2 reality series Love Island in 2019 when she was 28 years old.
Since the show she has collaborated with numerous fashion and make-up brands.
In 2020, she had her second round of reality TV competition on series 12 of Dancing on Ice.
However, Maura’s age means she isn’t the youngest in the camp, with GK Barry being 24 years old.
Where is Maura Higgins’ accent from?
Maura Higgins was born in Ballymahon, County Longford in Ireland.
After leaving school the TV personality went on to study hairdressing before beginning work with Monster Energy in 2014.
At the end of 2017, she travelled to Abu Dhabi as a Monster girl for the Formula 1 finale. She got her first hint of fame when she went viral in a video, the video showed the promotions girl drifting in a car in the hopes of inspiring women to drive.
In 2017, she appeared in the music video for the song Get Low by the late Liam Payne.
Shortly before appearing on Love Island, in 2019, Maura worked as a ring girl for several boxers, including Anthony Joshua.
Her ‘perfect guy’ is a tall movie star
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Following her entrance to the Love Island villa many fans wanted to know how tall this long-legged beauty was.
Maura is a model with Dreams Agency and according to her online profile she is 5ft 6in tall.
Apparently height isn’t the biggest requisite for Maura in a boyfriend, before entering the villa she said: “I would go for personality more than anything.
“I would definitely look for someone who is really honest and a very confident guy, but not arrogant and definitely someone who makes me laugh. They have to have banter, without a doubt.”
Although, she did say actor Chris Hemsworth was her perfect guy and he stands at a towering 6ft 3in.
Maura Higgins’ net worth will skyrocket after I’m A Celebrity
Since finding fame, Maura presented a segment on This Morning called Maura’s Ireland, in which she explored her home country to showcase all its hidden treasures. Higgins also made her acting debut in an Irish film called The Spin, set in Northern Ireland.
Additionally, she presented the Irish version of Glow Up: a Netflix reality competition that puts aspiring make-up artists head to head, to win a career-making opportunity in the beauty industry.
Added to her brand deals and modeling, Maura has stacked up quite a substantial net worth. In the Love Island Rich List, it’s estimated to be around £3.2 million, placing her at joint eighth on the list with Amber Davies.
Joining the cast of I’m a Celebrity 2024, Maura Higgins’ wealth will surely continue to grow.
Who did Maura Higgins leave Love Island with?
A fateful reunion. @MauraHiggins chats with @CurtisPritchard on his #LoveIslandGames experience, his relationship with Lisa and all things in between. pic.twitter.com/5LfSFHWjLW
— Love Island USA (@loveislandusa) November 9, 2023
Maura met Curtis Pritchard on Love Island when he was 23 years old. Despite the five-year age gap sparks flew after Curtis broke up with Amy Hart in the villa.
Curtis and Amber went on to finish the show in fourth place, but were the real winners when their relationship continued on the outside.
However, things took a devastating turn in 2020 when Curtis was accused of cheating on Maura – something he strongly denies.
While Maura was appearing on Dancing On Ice, Curtis stopped showing up in the crowd which began to circulate rumours of their split.
In March 2020, Maura confirmed their break-up in an Instagram post aimed at her fans. She wrote: “Curtis and I have made the decision to separate.
“There is no easy way to get through a break-up and no bad feeling on either side. We tried to make it work but it wasn’t to be, and I wish Curtis nothing but the best for the future.”
She’s been romantically linked with other reality stars
In 2022, Maura found herself in the headlines when she was photographed having a smooch with another Love Islander, reality TV show veteran Joey Essex.
However, since August 2024 she has been romantically linked with The Only Way Is Essex star Pete Wicks.
The pair were first spotted sharing a kiss outside a hotel in Soho, London after an alfresco lunch.
While they haven’t officially confirmed their relationship, Maura said on Paul C Brunson’s podcast, We Need To Talk: “We [Maura and Pete] just get on very, very well. I adore him, he’s an amazing person.”
The pair were spotted locking lips once more during a Pride Of Britain Awards after party in late October.
Recently, the pair shared a TikTok video together where they performed a viral dance move.
Let’s hope the pair can keep it sweet as Maura Higgins is contactless in the I’m a Celebrity jungle!
Horrifying incident in taxi
During Maura’s appearance on the October 30, 2024, episode of We Need To Talk podcast she opened up about an incident that took place before her Love Island appearance.
During a late-night taxi ride with her friends. following a party, Maura was sexually assaulted by the taxi driver.
Understandably, the Ireland native experienced intense fear through the remainder of the taxi journey and the incident left her physically shaken as she tried to enter her home.
Maura chose not to report the assault to the authorities. Living alone at the time, she was left in an anxious state about the taxi-driver knowing her address.
She since has regretted this decision, as the man in question could have gone on to harm other women.
“I should have, because, you know, he could do that again. I do regret not reporting him, he could do that to so many more women. But I was scared,” she shared with the host.
If this ordeal wasn’t horrific enough, Maura received blame from her partner at the time. He told her she “shouldn’t have drank that much”.
Maura’s breakdown after Love Island
Following her appearance on Love Island, Maura had a “breakdown” and suffered “dark thoughts”. She told Brunson: “Life after Love Island was a very hard time in my life.”
After her rapid rise to fame, the model found herself extremely busy and constantly in the public eye. Living out of hotels she was going from one appearance to the next feeling completely burnt out and like she couldn’t turn any opportunity down.
“I had a breakdown. I had dark thoughts, very dark thoughts,” the reality star clarified.
Difficult relationship with her father
Maura also revealed on the podcast when she was younger her dad “wasn’t really around” as he spent most of his time working. Things went from bad to worse after he divorced her mother.
Following a “horrendous” phone call shortly after her Love Island debut that left Maura in a state where she “physically couldn’t breathe”, she decided to cut her father off.
She revealed: “It’s kind of weird. We haven’t spoken in a few years now.
“I thought to myself, I wouldn’t let a partner talk to me like that. I wouldn’t let a friend talk to me like that. I’m not going to let my dad talk to me like that,” she explained.
I’m A Celebrity is on every night at 9pm on ITV1.
Read more: Maura Higgins will face her ex-boyfriend’s dad in I’m a Celebrity jungle
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